As any city dweller knows, New Year’s Eve is arguably the most difficult night of the year to get around our roads.
City-siders heading out on Thursday night won’t be able to rely on crowd-favourite UberX for a cheap ride either, with fares expected to soar by 2.5-3.5 times the normal rate after midnight.
The popular ride-sharing app received significant criticism for similar surge prices last NYE, however David Rohrsheim, Uber’s general manager for Australia, says the higher fees are necessary to get as many Uber drivers on the road as possible,
‘Our strategy won’t change from last year. We are as upfront as we can possible be in terms of dynamic pricing and we suggest individuals plan accordingly,’ he told Fairfax.
Despite heated protests from the taxi industry, UberX was made legal in NSW on December 16. Uber rose to popularity in Australia when the app was made available in October, 2012.
Uber have defended the need for increased prices again this year,
“Getting drivers out there is our priority, higher fares mean more people will get home. We want part-timers to help out over the New Year period through our UberX service,” Mr Rohrsheim said.
Watch: Jimmy Kimmel became an UberX driver for a day. Post continues after video…
For the first time, it seems as thought taxi’s might be the more wallet-friendly option this NYE, with the NSW government setting fixed taxi prices including peak fares from 10pm alongside a $2.50 surcharge.
That being said, hailing an available cab on New Year’s is about as likely as hitching a ride on the back of a majestic unicorn.
House party anyone?
